Alchemy Across Worlds
by myladia
Summary: Rey is thrown into the world of FMAB after performing human transmutation on herself, causing for her to enter Edward and Alphonse Elric's fight to obtain the Philosopher's Stone and restore their bodies. (Cheese and crust I stink at summaries but yeah, I wrote it so it's coming on here and I think its worth a read so click on the story please!) Rated T for story and language!
1. Chapter 1

** Well hello there, this would be my first fanfiction and holy cheese I love this anime so I just wanted to put my own little spin on it just to see how it goes. I'm not the most punctual person in the world but I'll try to make sure to update as much as I can and when I say I will (which will be mostly weekends and such). Also, this is set in the FMAB universe even though the characters will refer to the show as Fullmetal Alchemist. So yeah, I don't own any of these characters or the story that Hiromu Arikawa wrote and created except for Rey -who's a bit of a critic and doesn't share the same thoughts about everything Fullmetal Alchemist that I do but I hope she'll grow on you ^_^- and the small parts that you may not recognize and if you do then that's kinda weird since that'd mean that you're in my mind (in which case... hi, its kinda weird in here, huh?) Hope you like it and _constructive _criticism is welcome!**

I was really bored. As much as I was doing at that moment it was pretty hard for me to be but believe it or not I really was. I had my computer, self bought by the way, a sketch pad, and an old Van Halen CD playing in my stereo, which I considered mine even though I hadn't exactly bought it from its previous owner. You would think that watching some show called Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood would keep my mind occupied since it's generally full of action and decent comedy, but I was stuck in a dramatic scene with its short main character Edward and his brother Alphonse getting beat up by some guy named Scar. But of course, my mind wouldn't focus on the "suspense" before me so I had decided to bring my sketch pad out and draw some of the transmutation circles I'd seen on the show.

Looking back down at my sketchpad I tried to finish the human transmutation circle that I had been working on until my vision was obscured by my hair. Sighing I tucked my long, dark copper colored hair behind my ear only to have it escape once again, due to the choppy haircut I'd given myself, making me give up and erase the stray line that ruined my otherwise perfect circle. Once I was satisfied, I fixed my pale blue eyes back onto the screen where Ed was getting his automail arm destroyed by his enemy's alchemy and I couldn't help the small gasp that escaped me. I really liked automail, the beautiful and practical designs had always made me admire the people who made them and I didn't exactly enjoy seeing it get destroyed like that.

"Oh well," I said my voice ringing out in the empty bedroom from my perch on the top bunk of one of two bunk beds, "The shorty can get it built back on."

_ Hypocrite_, I thought in the back of my mind as I looked down and studied my short form. For a fifteen year old girl, five feet is pretty short, but I never got any crap about it, mostly because I can usually argue my case pretty well when someone brings it up.

When I looked up again I found that the scene had changed completely while I was drawing and I had no idea what was happening. Cursing I dropped my sketch pad onto my lap and used my mouse to click back to the beginning of the fight and then picked up my sketch book again where I doodled another transmutation circle without bothering to look at it.

I stopped and laughed when I saw Riza and Havoc tell off Mustang and took that moment to look down at the transmutation circle I had drawn. I didn't recognize it from anywhere in the anime or the ones I had seen online, yet it seemed like it had just as much part in the anime as any of the others. Only one thing seemed to jump out at me from the drawing. In the middle it held the small triangular symbol from the middle of the ouroboros tattoo that I had seen on Lust and Envy.

Looking back up at the anime where Armstrong had just engaged Scar, I couldn't stop myself from admiring the awesome alchemy that they both used in the fight. I peered back down at the circle I had made and frowned.

Slowly I used the pencil I was holding to pin my hair back into a messy bun and brought my hands up in front of my face. Peering up at the screen again I felt a smile tug at my lips as I gazed up and saw Al punched Ed for being stupid which I completely agreed with and found satisfying. Still gazing at the anime I brought my hands together, making the clap echo through the small room I was in, and placed them on my transmutation circle.

Al punched Ed again who went flying backwards in a way that would only be possible in an anime. I looked back down at the transmutation circle, not able to suppress the inevitable disappointment I felt when no blue light emanated from the circle and nothing was transformed by alchemy.

"Reyna!" I heard an angry voice call my full name from somewhere in the large orphanage making me wince.

"What?" I fired back not even bothering to look up and zoning out like so many times before so that I wouldn't be able to hear what the voice said next. A skill I had to develop over the years to truly no longer hear the nasally, nagging, high pitched voice that had constantly berated me since an early age.

Only this time when I zoned out, the world around me disappeared a little too well and gave away to an endless white. Shocked, I snapped myself from thoughtlessness, fully expecting to come out of my daze. But the endless white didn't go away, and when I looked at my hand I found that that I was looking at it clearly.

"What the hell?" I said, my voice sounding tiny in the expanse making me cringe and clear my throat when I yelled out, "Hello?"

"No need to yell, I'm right here." A voice said behind me.

Whirling around I found myself looking at a figure sitting cross legged on the floor in front of a large double doored entrance. The thing in front of me was completely white, had no hair, and no features except for a large, lopsided grin that made my hair stand on end as though my body was anticipating that something bad was about to happen. Unfortunately, I knew that that was true.

"No way." I said pinching myself and then felt my stomach drop when I felt the pain clearly.

Laughing the figure in front of me said, "So I'm guessing I don't need to introduce myself?"

Shaking my head gravely I replied, "No, I know who you are. You're Truth."

"I am the world, the universe, God, truth, all, and one. And I am also you, but you are also correct!" Truth replied, its grin somehow growing wider.

Keeping my voice steady I asked, "But why am I here? I didn't do any transmutation, that's not even possible where I'm from."

"Maybe not for most people, but for you, it is. Isn't that nice?" It responded making my hands sweat as I balled them into fists.

"That can't be true, otherwise this would have happened to more people. Otherwise everyone would know about it, how could you cover up the possibility of alchemy from the human race?" I said somewhat panicking and trying to prove that this couldn't be real.

_ It's not real, its just a dream. It's just a _nightmare_. You fell asleep while watching anime again. Any minute now Theresa is going to come in your room and wake you up to nag you about the mess in your room._

"You're so stubborn," Truth said giggling which made it seem even more menacing, "This isn't a dream and you know it. And don't you think its possible that if alchemy is real, that seeing the gate wouldn't render that person unable to prove its existence?"

"You mean you're going to kill me?" I asked looking past the double meaning of Truth's words.

"Of course not! Those people had to pay a toll for what they wanted, whether they did the transmutation on purpose or not. Some paid with their sanity, others their memories, many with their own will, but mostly with their organs or limbs. What I'm telling you is that you will have to pay a price for your transmutation."

"But I already told you, I didn't even do transmutation! And even if it is possible in my world, I didn't try to bring anyone back from the dead with human transmutation!" I said stumbling back and trying to put enough distance between myself and Truth so I could actually feel safe. Except I knew that no amount of distance would ever make me feel like I was safe from it, with each step I took back the door and Truth came closer without moving, confirming then that I would never be able to escape it and that the Truth would always haunt me.

"You did perform human transmutation in a way, you transmuted yourself to go through the Portal of Truth. Don't get too excited, you don't have any special powers, you actually did this quite by chance."

"To go through the portal, but where does that lead? Isn't the Portal of Truth just a huge metaphor for all that there is to know about alchemy?" I said peering at it nervously.

"No, not just alchemy. It holds the truth to everything there is in the universe, alchemy merely uses the Truth in order to accomplish transmutation. After all, all is one and one is all." Truth replied in a mocking tone making a part of me jump in indignation despite my horror.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I said letting some of my irritation fuel myself so that the question comes out as a demand.

"Oh you'll find out, once you've passed through the portal. But in order to do so I will have to show you what information it holds, and that will cost you another toll on top of the one you've already paid in order to transmute yourself." Truth said holding out a hand that I was more than unwilling to take.

"What? No, I don't want to go in there! I don't want to see any of it!" I screamed as the doors behind Truth opened and sprouted long black arms from its depths that took hold of me and dragged me towards the abyss.

"You can't do this!" I said reaching out and grabbing Truth with its same hand and then watching in horror as my right arm disintegrated from my body and then reformed as Truth's.

"This is what you wanted!" Truth exclaims maniacally and waving at me with my own arm, "Farewell, stupid fool who doesn't know her own place! Be grateful, I'm showing you the Truth!"

A scream ripped through me as I was dragged into the portal and the expansive white was swallowed by the endless darkness. Immediately my screams were met with a sudden high pitched drone that teared at my ears as information from the world flooded my mind. I couldn't think, everything that entered was pushed back by the incredible amount of pain that seized me, making me long for way to end it and thrash in the many arms that were holding me. I clawed at my face with my remaining arm trying to distract myself with a pain other than the one dominating my brain and also trying to rip the massive amounts of Truth out as it seemed to flow into me endlessly.

"Stop! Stop!" I cried, "My head is going to explode!"

"Ed you idiot!" I heard a familiar voice cry from somewhere in the chaos. _Who's Ed? Who's here?_

"Help me!" I screamed not able to stand the pain in the midst of the torture that Truth was giving me.

And then it stopped, the noise, the pain, and the darkness. I didn't feel like I was being dragged anymore. I didn't feel like I was being bombarded with the Truth. The only thing I could feel was rain and I couldn't even question it beyond my relief that I was out of the Portal. That is, until I felt myself falling and only being able to hear the wind as it whistled passed me making me believe I was in the Portal again and until I made contact with the stone ground.

A pitiful groan escaped me as I curled into myself, trying to endure the new pain in my head and side from the impact.

"What the hell?" a voice exclaimed beside me.

"Brother, who is she?" another, more metallic voice said on the other side of me.

Lifting my head slowly I opened my eyes and found myself looking into two gold disks staring back at me.

"No way." I said before giving up to exhaustion and settling into a familiar darkness that wasn't the Portal, but dreamless sleep.

**Okay, thanks for reading and I'll update next weekend if I get enough comments back (also if I can edit the next chapter enough). Have a nice week until then!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Water_, my brain called out. _I need water._

Slowly unconsciousness peeled away from me and I wrenched my eyes open for what felt like the first time in years. Unfortunately, that just made me aware of the dull throbbing pain in my head and side that allowed for a groan to escape me.

When I could bare it, I opened my eyes again and looked around me without moving. I was lying on a bed in a small room that smelled like alcohol and disinfectant. A hospital. Slowly I sat up and pushed the covers that enveloped me off so that I could swing my legs out from the bed and onto the floor. Biting my lip I pushed myself off of the bed and stood until my vision blurred and I fell back onto the bed gasping and cursing in pain.

Finally, the pain subsided back into a dull ache and allowed me to sit back up, "Okay, let's just take this really friggen _slowly._"

"First the right leg, then the left," I urged myself on outloud, "Now scootch forward a little. Alright, now a little more, okay stand up."

This time the pain came back in full force once more, but I was able to grab onto the post of the bed and steadied myself as I bit my lip and stifled a whimper to keep from crying out. When I opened my eyes again I had to blink back tears in order to see the room clearly once again. Looking around carefully I saw a bathroom in the corner of the room which I managed to limp towards and gradually made it.

Not bothering to turn on the light I stumbled to the sink, turned on the faucet, and threw myself under the water where I gulped it down greedily until I was forced to come up and gasp for air.

"You know," A voice said nonchalantly behind me making me whirl around and then clutch my stomach as whatever food I had in me threatened to come back out again, "you could have just asked me to help you or to go get you a cup of water."

"Listen punk, I don't need help-" I started before freezing when the bathroom light flickered on and I saw who was in the doorway, "Edward?"

Raising an eyebrow and frowning he responded, "Yeah, how do you know my name?"

Before me he stood, and even without his bright red coat I was able to recognize him from his gold hair and eyes, "No way." I said backing up into the sink and holding it for support, "That's not- no..."

"Hey don't pass out again, I don't want to have to drag you back to the bed!" He said suddenly losing all calmness and throwing his hands out as though in preparation.

Rolling my eyes I said, "Don't worry I'm not gonna swoon over a little shorty like you."

"Hey! Who you calling so short he can't even reach the top shelf? And I'm taller than you!" He exclaimed making my ears ring.

"Would you shut up you're giving me a headache, and I am not shorter than you-" I shouted but then stopped when I found that I was looking up at him slightly.

"Whatever, without those boots and that antennae I'd be taller than him." I said sinking lower in my realization.

"That is not true-"

"Yeah, yeah we get it you don't like being called short." I replied stopping him and putting my hand up, which was a mistake since I could no longer keep my balance in my weakened state and I found myself sliding to the floor.

"Brother why didn't you try and catch her?" A new voice said from the room.

"How was I supposed to, Al? She seemed fine before!" I heard Ed exclaim as he walked towards me.

"Ow!" He said when I smacked his hand away from my shoulder, "What did you do that for?"

Using the wall to help me I snapped, "I don't need help, I'm fine."

"Miss, we're just trying to help you." Al said from the doorway, his voice pleading and automatically making me feel guilty. Or maybe that was the realization that he was in a suit of armor and piled in a box near the door.

Bowing my head slightly I grumbled, "Sorry, I guess I'm just annoyed I can't keep myself upright. Its probably just-" I stopped when I looked in the mirror and didn't see my right arm.

"Oh God." I said my voice a whimper as I slid back down to the floor with the image of a bandaged stump where my right arm should have been burned into my head, "So I'm here now."

"Um, miss, you don't look very good. Ed can carry you back to your bed now if you want." Al said sounding like he wanted to scoot pass Ed in the small bathroom and over to me despite his inability to walk.

"No, no. I've got it." I said wincing as I pushed myself back up and inched around Ed, "I've just gotta rub some dirt on it."

Giving me a puzzled look Ed asked, "Wouldn't that just infect it?"

Sighing I replied, "It's an expression Edward, it means I just have to tough it out."

"Maybe you shouldn't just tough it out, I think you should probably take it easy." Al said as Ed took a hold of my arm until I reached the bed again and sat down, the only reason for my consent being that if I had hit him, he wouldn't have any qualms about retaliating, and I wasn't in the best shape to fight back.

"Thanks," I grumbled when he stood back and pulled up a chair and Al's box so that both were near the bed and facing me, "Were you there the whole time I was out, or did you break into my room?"

"I was here!" Ed exclaimed and then backpedaled after I gave him a skeptical look, "We needed someone to keep an eye on you and I don't trust Al to rough someone up when they're injured in order to get them to listen." he finished glaring at me suspiciously.

"Oh so now I'm a prisoner? And what did I do?" I asked giving him the same glare.

"For one thing you plopped down in the middle of Al and I right after a fight so the military wanted to ask you some questions."

"Yeah because a girl with a missing limb is so threatening." I said rubbing my stump.

"Well that and you know my name." Ed added as though that condemned me. I wasn't surprised for his lack of sympathy, he and Al had gone through a lot worse than I had.

"Ed, maybe we should do this later. She just woke up, and she's probably in a lot of pain right now. I don't want to make her injuries worse." Al pleaded with his brother.

"I'm right here you know, my brain is working perfectly fine and I'm not as injured as you think I am." I growled.

Jumping up suddenly Ed exclaimed, "Are you kidding me? Your arm is gone and you could barely stand up and walk to the bathroom!"

"Why didn't you help her get up Ed?" Al said making Ed look down and sit in his chair again.

"I already told you, I don't need help. If he had tried I probably would have kicked his ass anyways since I thought I was in here alone."

After giving me a questioningly look that seemed to ask why I was defending him, Ed piped up again, "So who are you?"

"What country is this?" I asked.

"Amestris." Well that proved that.

"Rey," I replied answering their question and receiving confused silence in return, "I won't bother giving you a last name because you won't find me in any of your files or whatever. I'm not from here."

"So then where are you from?" Ed asked glaring at me suspiciously.

Sighing I said exasperated, "Would you calm down? I'm not here to murder you."

His expression becoming even more suspicious Ed replied, "Then answer the question."

"Fine, I'll answer your questions as soon as I can get some food in me." I said laying back down in the bed and accidently falling on my side when I expected to be caught by my right arm. Ignoring the sudden lump in my throat I turned away from them so that I had my back to them until I heard Ed pick up Al slowly walked out of the room.

After a few minutes I turned over and looked at the door, remembering that I hadn't heard them lock the door when they left. I could have ran, but where? To Winry's house? To Hues' house? Or just simply disappear in this world somewhere?

"No, besides how am I supposed to defend myself if I don't have a right arm?" I told myself looking down at my stump again and yearning to see my hand. I missed it, as weird as it sounds, the scars that I had, the bitten nails, the small willowy fingers that were excellent at both drawing and giving a good punch.

"No, no point in that." I chastised myself feeling a sudden lump form in my throat. _What I really need to think about is how the hell am I supposed to get back?_

"Okay, I got here by..." I pause, thinking hard and for a moment before a blinding pain engulfed me and I caught a glimpse of a snake engulfing its own tail until I can't bare it anymore and I'm forced to open my eyes. Ignoring the dull pain that still remains, search around the room for something to write with and find a pen and notepad on the bedside table next to me. Hurriedly, I use my feet to steady the pad in the bed do my best to sketch what I saw with my left hand. Finished I wince at the crude drawing and study it, noting that the snake looked to have three horns on top of its head.

"But its not finished," I comment peering at it and trying to remember the full picture when I hear two sets of feet making their way towards my door, "Ed, I don't think we should question her now."

"She said she'd answer our questions after she ate, and we brought food so she can answer us while eating." I hear Ed reply, his tone basically waving off Al.

"Did she seem to be hiding something Fullmetal?" A new voice asks making me freeze as two shadows appear under the door to the room and the doorknob turns without an answer, "Excuse me-"

"Go away!" I cry in a shrill voice while throwing the paper and pen underneath me and throwing myself under the covers before shouting out again with a choked sob, "I just need to be alone!"

"Gyah!" I heard Ed say as he and Mustang entered the room making me stifle another sob as I turn away from them and curl into myself trying to act as hysterical as possible.

"A-a-a-al? Is she crying?"

"Um, uh I don't know brother!" I heard Al stutter.

"This is the girl you wanted me to question?" Mustang asks, "maybe we should come back later." _Yes, go._

"Colonel, would you mind waiting outside with Ed? I can try and calm her down." Al said making me clench the bedsheet in my hand even harder. _Dammit._

I heard Ed hastily walk into the room and set Al next to the bed when the sound of a bag being unwrapped the smell of food wafted over to me making my stomach rumble in desire. After a moment Ed retreated silently out the door and shut it.

Silence enveloped the room until Al cleared his throat and said in a tentative voice,"Do you want some food? We got a lot just in case you were really hungry."

Sighing I pulled the sheet from my face and turned over so that I was facing the ceiling of the room and then looked over until I saw a bowl of soup sitting next to me on the bed that bobbed with pieces of meat and vegetables immediately taking over my senses, "Sure," I replied sniffing and keeping the sheets clenched in my fist against my chest without looking at Al.

Quickly I sat up, picked up the bowl, ignored the heat that burned my mouth, and gulped down half of it without chewing. When I looked up I saw Al silently looking back and forth between me and a spoon resting uselessly on the bed still.

"I think you could actually eat more than Brother if you tried." He said laughing after a few moments and then gesturing with his head towards the juice box that had been placed next to me as well.

"Thanks." I said wincing at the watery sound of my voice to add effect and then added, "Thank you for the food, but I'll need a minute for myself if you don't mind, I don't think I can handle being pelted with questions right now."

"What? No, I don't really think that would be best right now. Plus I think you're just someone that happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." Al replied in a sympathetic tone.

"Then why are you in here?"

"Oh, I thought I would be easier to talk to since Ed isn't very good with people. I really hope you can forgive him he's probably just worried about who you are and what you might do."

"Thanks but I really just need to be alone now." When Al doesn't move I decide that this is wasting even more time and I decide to drop the act and add nonchalantly, "Plus Edward just sent you in here to try to get information out of me. Of course Edward could've been stupid enough to let his own discomfort get the best of him but I'm almost positive that he's outside the door listening in on this conversation right now." I finished smirking as a loud bang erupted from the doorway as Ed burst in.

"I am not stupid!" He shouted.

Gulping down the rest of the soup before opening the juice box I peer at Ed and remark, "You're stupid enough to blow your cover. If you hadn't burst in then I would have never known and I might've given some valuable information to Al here."

Deadpanning Ed looked at me until he could regain his composure and shouted, "What's with you, first you're crying and now you're some kind of mastermind?"

Sipping at the juice I reply, "Who said I was crying?" which makes Ed pause before glaring at me with indignance.

"Wait how do you know Ed's name?" Al said making me freeze, "We didn't even tell you it when we came in before."

"So he picked up on that." I said under my breath.

"Hey don't change the subject!" Ed shouted making me put my head in my hand and sigh, "Quit your shouting! You're making my head hurt."

When I was met with silence I looked up and found that Ed was staring at me skeptically, and I was pretty sure that Al would have given me the same look if he could have.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you the truth." I relented, "I don't remember anything from before waking up in the alleyway between you two. I don't know how I lost my arm. I know your name because you're a famous state alchemist and everyone knows your name, plus since everyone knows you two as Edward and Alphonse and Alphonse called you brother, that also pinned it down for me."

"You're lying." Ed shot back at me earning dubious reactions from both me and Al.

"How can you tell? She sounded like she was telling the truth, Brother." Al said.

"I can tell because she pulls the same face you do when you lie." Edward said making me and Al look at each other.

"I wasn't lying." I said keeping my expression firm and looking both Ed and Al in the eye.

"There it is again!" Ed shouted making my ears ring.

"Fine, but you have to shut up!" I said throwing my hand up in the air and then scowling since it didn't have the same effect as it did with two hands.

Looking back up at the two of them I continued, "The only way I'm going to be able to tell you all this is without interruption. I don't care how ridiculous it will sound or how mad you get or how unbelievable you may think what I'm saying is. The only way you're going to be able to understand it all is if I'm able to say everything thing I need to."

When neither of them objected I began, "The reason why you won't be able to find any records of me is because I'm not from here. I'm from the other side of the Portal of Truth."

"That's impossible, you would have had to do human transmutation-"

"I said no interruptions." I growled silencing Ed, "The reason why I was able to come through isn't because I did human transmutation. Well I suppose I did but instead of trying to create a human I transmuted myself to go through the Portal. I guess the price that I paid for that was my right arm. Edward will know what I'm talking about, he's seen the Portal of Truth. Where I come from is drastically different from your world. Our technology is superior, its the year 2013, and alchemy was deemed impossible a long time ago but I guess it isn't since I was able to do it. In fact, because of this, we've adapted to ways to get around having to rely on alchemy where as your world is held back by it. And no I don't mean that negatively, so stop giving me the look Edward. Your world is very similar to our Industrial Revolution which was about three hundred years ago, in those three hundred years we have developed things like portable telephones and computers. Computers are going to be hard to put into words that you guys will understand so when I'm done explaining them you can ask questions. Computers are devices that can either be as small as the palm of your hand or take up an entire table, the main reason why people use computers is because they want to use this thing called the internet. The internet is basically this collection of data from all around the world that you can add to and access as long as you have this thing called wifi, you can't touch it but you can see it. To put it in simpler terms you could say the internet is like this palm sized library filled with information from all over the world."

I paused taking a moment to read Ed's amazed expression and Al's silence as awe until Ed's inner scientist took over and he asked, "How do you get that much information into one object?"

"Well you can't access it all at once otherwise your computer would crash, or I guess die in a way, plus that would be kinda pointless because you would have to have more than a million screens to look at everything."

"So its like looking through a window at the Portal of Truth?" Ed asked.

"Yeah kind of, but the Portal has to do more so with the basics of life and alchemy. You know, one is all and all is one? On the internet there can be biased information, also people will make up stuff and put it on there too. And there's the option to play games on it and communicate with people from other parts of the world."

"That sounds amazing." Al said his voice hinting that his face would have been set wonder.

"Yeah, but half of our world's population is kinda addicted to it and and can never leave the house without some way to access it, myself included. That's why we have these." I said holding up my ipod.

"Is this a computer?" Ed said taking it from me and turning it over in his hand while Al scrutinized it over his shoulder.

"Yeah, its called an ipod." I said trying to keep myself from laughing at their awestrucked reactions.

"Show us internet!" Edward said thrusting it towards me suddenly.

"I can't, you guys don't have it here. It has to be created somehow, and I have no idea how to do that, I don't even know how it can be created. Its such an abstract idea to me that I wouldn't even know where to start. Only scientists know how it works and I guess I could be taught, but otherwise I wouldn't even know where to start." I said helplessly as Ed gave me a triumphant look.

"Don't look at me like that. Of course it doesn't work here, we're in another world." I paused again waiting for another interruption.

"Prove it." Ed said peering at me through narrowed eyes.

"Fine," I conceded opening my ipod and scrolling through my pictures.

"How did you do that?" Al shouted, his voice filled with amazement, "That's amazing!"

"All you do is swipe sideways, just don't press too hard or click the button with the square on it otherwise I'll have to get back into my pictures." I said handing it over to Ed and chuckling when he took it in his hand as though it were a holy object.

"Ah! I killed it!" Ed exclaimed suddenly after a minute of silence.

"What, how?" Al shouted as Ed stood up in panic.

"Calm down you just hit the lock button." I said taking it back and unlocking the screen again earning looked of wonder from the two of them.

"Don't kill it again Ed." Al muttered but Ed didn't reply since he was probably too wrapped up in the new technology before him to do anything else. The guy's a scientist at heart after all.

After a few more moments of silence Ed thrust his finger into the screen and exclaimed, "Wait what was that? I can't get back to it!"

"Not so hard you idiot! You'll break it!" I yelled snatching my ipod back and looking for scratches or cracks. I had payed for it by myself, so I wasn't about to get it broken by some excited kid.

"So you don't care when I kill it but when I scratch it you act like I'm trying to destroy it." Ed muttered.

"Because you weren't hurting it. These are really fragile and we have to be careful with them, otherwise we have to replace the glass and its really expensive. Don't give me that look I had to pay for this myself! " I said looking for the pictures of computers and cellphones I had from this stupid lifeplan project we'd had at the orphanage, I'd decided I would be a software designer since I could draw pretty well and I was pretty technology obsessed anyway.

Ignoring Ed grumbling about his "undeserved lecture" I continued to swipe through my pictures, stopping suddenly when at a picture of Ed and Al sparring in Resembool.

_Holy crap that could have been bad, _I thought to myself while hastily deleting the picture and finally finding the one I had wanted to show them.

"Amazing, what are these called?" Al asked indicating at a picture of an old flip phone.

"It's a phone, we use them to communicate with each other, it's a lot faster than sending letters since you can talk to a person right away and hear their voice. I don't really know how they work either." I explained.

"We have phones" Ed growled, "And they work through sound vibrations converted to electrical signals that are amplified and then transferred to another telephone."

In a growl just as low as his I answered, "Good to know, but can you tell me why we don't have to use wires and how they can be the size of my hand?" This shut him up with a satisfyingly dubious look. Guess the stupid, science know it all didn't have an answer for that.

"What's up Al?" Ed asked him since he had gone quiet in the middle of laughing at our argument and was now staring at a different picture on my ipod, an up close shot of Ed and Al about to perform human transmutation on their mom.

Everyone was silent for a moment, it wasn't the silence that had filled the room before where I knew they were just analyzing what information I had given them, this was a shocked silence, a silence that made me aware of every single sound in the room and the turmoil that raged beneath Ed's gold eyes that caused my stomach to drop all the way into my feat.

"Look I-" I began but was cut off when Ed suddenly jumped up and grabbed the front of my shirt which he used to drag over to the wall and pin me there which was surprising since he only had one hand from his fight with Scar.

"What the hell! How did you get this?" He yelled the gold in his eyes like fire.

"Let me explain, this isn't what it looked like-" I started to say but was interrupted when Ed slammed me into the wall once again making me see stars as he shouted, "Don't give me that crap just explain!"

"There's this thing on the internet, they're called shows which are basically moving pictures that tell stories like a picture book except they have sound. One of these shows is about a boy who is traveling the world with his brother in order to find an object that's called the Philosopher's Stone in order to regain back their bodies that were lost when they tried to bring their mom back to life with alchemy called human transmutation. We call it Fullmetal Alchemist."

"You- you know everything?" Ed cried, his grip faltering slightly in his disbelief.

"You have to understand that at the time it was just a show, I didn't know that you and Al actually existed, and that everything had actually happened." I said not bothering to resist with the sudden and massive weight of guilt pinning me against the wall just as much as Ed's strong grip.

"That's still- I mean you- how much do you know?" He shouted and twisted his hand so that he could push his forearm against my neck and I had to struggle to respond.

"I've only seen up to where Scar attacked you, before that I saw your past from when you two were around five and then until you tried to bring your mother back. Otherwise I have no idea what will happen, when I was transmuted here I was watching the fifth episode and I fell between you two at the exact part that I was watching." I gasped.

"Brother it's not her fault." Al said from across the room, his voice hollow so I had no idea how he was taking this in, "Please, let her go."

Ed's grip didn't falter for a few moments, instead his eyes continued to bore into mine scrutinizing me under their hard and fiery gaze.

"I don't blame you, if I were you and Alphonse I'd be mad too. But I didn't ask for this, I wouldn't want to know something this personal about a real person, which you two are. I won't use any of this against you since I know what you two did is taboo here and I wouldn't have anyone to tell anyway." I said trying to keep my voice even despite my dire need for air.

After a few more tense moments Ed let go of me, sending me back to the floor and making me realize that I had been suspended in the air. Without even looking at me again, he turned around and walked back towards the door of the room and pulled it open.

"Hey," I said making him stop, "if anything, I can't tell anyone this stuff since I did human transmutation too."

Without turning to me he replied in a low voice, "I won't tell Mustang about this until you decide what you want to do," and left without another word leaving me and Al in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Um, hi. So yeah this update is basically thanks to my sister who kinda pushed me into my laptop when I told her I hadn't updated in two weeks. I really don't have that great of an excuse besides getting sick last weekend but otherwise the lack of activity is basically just due to me being lazy and a horrible person as well as a hypocrite considering I constantly complain about inconsistent fanfiction writers. But thanks for not posting anything negative and for silently stewing (if you're actually that into the story already) and I hope you all like the chapter!**

"Its fine," I replied waving him off and deciding to remain on the ground until my vision cleared, "I just need to-"

"Don't say rub some dirt on it." He stopped me with a tone that made me think that he would have been putting his hands on his hips if he could.

Peering at him I said, "I wasn't going to, I just think I should stay in here for a while until the military or Mustang or whoever is ready to interrogate me. After that..." I stopped not knowing what to say next.

"How much do you know about our government?" Al asked warily but I waved him off again, "Do you need some help to get back into bed? I mean I can't really help you right now but I can get a nurse."

"No," I replied earning a sigh from Al, "But I would like to walk around a little bit. I mean I've only ever seen this world on a computer so it would be interesting to look around."

"I don't know if you can walk around by yourself." Al replied.

"Then you can come with me, can I get a wheelchair from somewhere?" I asked.

"There, in the corner," Al piped up bringing my attention over to the other side of the room where I grabbed it and wheeled it over to Al. Grunting, I picked up his box, marveling at how easily Ed had done it before and finally got it situated so that I would be able to push it as I walked.

"Thanks." I said and looked down at my blood stained t-shirt and sweatpants that I hadn't been changed out of since my "adventure", "Wait, is there anything I could change into?"

"Yeah, a nurse came in here a while ago and put some clothes for you on the chair over there." Al said gesturing to the chair beside my bed where a bright blue dress lay with some hospital slippers.

Usually I would have objected to the thought of wearing a dress but the thought of turning Al down after making a kind gesture didn't really sit well with me.

"Thanks." I said standing up and taking the dress from the chair so that I could change in the bathroom.

Avoiding the mirror I went to the far corner of the bathroom and stripped off the bloody clothes I was wearing with one hand. Of course, this took a while since I now only had my left hand which wasn't my dominant hand, to do the work of two. But I eventually got the dress and slippers on with a little creativity with my feat and a fair amount of swearing. Unwillingly, I then went over to the mirror where I attempted to wash out my clothes but only succeeded in getting out some of the dried blood until I gave up and threw them away. I then washed my face and untangled my hair as best as I could with my fingers. As I studied myself I found that my icy blue eyes were slightly red from my earlier bout of crying and that I had a few cuts as well as a bandage on my forehead from where I'd hit it, but the worst damage had been done to my right arm which both comforted and saddened me. Sighing, I then stepped away from the mirror, out of the bathroom and into the room once again.

"Do you need any help-" Al started to say looking up at me and then stopped abruptly.

"What?" I asked Al after a few seconds of silence.

"Uh, n-nothing. Can you move the wheelchair okay?" He asked as I moved toward it and tried to push it forward

"Sure." I said looking down at the empty sleeve to my right and thinking. Finally I moved my arm to the center of the back and pushed forward, not going completely straight but I didn't mind, it felt good to move around and work again.

"So what about you?" I asked pausing to open the door and then push Al out until I could close it behind me once again.

"What about me?" Al replied.

"Don't you wanna throw me against a wall and yell at me? I mean I kinda know a lot of stuff about you and your brother." I said sincerely.

Stiffening Al replied, "Oh no, of course not! I understand you didn't really know, besides brother is just mad because he doesn't like people knowing about that stuff."

"And he doesn't want anyone to hurt you," I added under my breath.

"Besides, I can't really be mad, as long as you don't use the information you have against us, I think that this is a great way for Ed to make a new friend."

"You have a weird way of taking this," I muttered.

We walked for a few minutes as Al pointed out a few rooms to me, eventually making me realize that we were in the military headquarters in East City, which made sense since the government most likely wanted to question me. But this thought made me uneasy, what was I supposed to say to them? And what if there was someone in the military that I couldn't trust, would it really be a good idea to expose who I really was to the government of this world?

"Rey?" Al said breaking me out of my thoughts, "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine." I replied getting the urge to look over at my right shoulder and then thinking about Ed's automail.

"Um actually, I know you guys are friends with an automail mechanic-" I started but was interrupted by Mustang and and a very large man arguing down the hall.

"Honestly Major, can't you put your shirt back on?" Mustang sighed putting a hand up to his head. Ah, Armstrong.

Flexing once more Armstrong thundered, "I'm merely motivating our fellow military men, they must see a prime specimen of glory in order to feel empowered while working!"

Shaking his head Mustang continued to walk until he almost plowed through me as I shouted, "Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Huh?" Mustang said stopping just in time and then looking down at me, "Oh you're that girl that was cry-"

"Yes I'm the person you wanted to interrogate." I growled, interrupting him which he did not look like he appreciated. Okay, maybe that wasn't the best idea. That plan's already backfired twice on me.

Standing straight once again he looked down at me with a superior gaze and said in a commanding voice, "Well if you are well enough to wheel Alphonse around the building, then would you mind coming with me and answering a few questions?"

"Sure." I replied curtly not liking his condescending tone, no wonder Ed hates this guy.

Smirking slightly at my indignance, Mustang nodded and turned expecting us to follow at his pace even though I had to struggle to keep up while pushing a wheelchair with one arm and with much shorter legs. I suppressed the urge to plow into him and "accidently" run him over with the wheelchair while following Mustang through the hallway until we made our way to a set of large doors that opened to Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes' office.

"Hiya Roy!" A man with gold eyes, black hair, and glasses exclaimed loudly making me smirk at Mustang's loss of authority by the flippant greeting.

"Lt. Colonel Hughes," Mustang responded with only mildly suppressed exasperation, "This is the young woman that appeared after the Fullmetal Alchemist's fight with Scar. I came here to conduct her interrogation."

Looking over at me, Hughes seemed to notice my existence for the first time and immediately gained a serious and authoritative manner, "Oh, well then please sit down," then looking at the wheelchair Al was in he added, "nice to see you again Alphonse."

I pushed Al over to the sitting area Hughes had in his large office so that the wheelchair was in between Mustang and Hughes who sat on his right and left with me standing beside him, stubbornly not taking a seat.

"Hold on, I'll go and have Hawkeye get Fullmetal." Mustang said giving me an intimidating look which I shrugged off by crossing my legs and leaning back against Hughes' desk making the dress I was in look much less girly.

"I'm already here." Ed said stepping into the room and plopped down beside Hughes while giving me a burning look that made my earlier guilt build once again.

"Why don't we start this off with your name?" Hughes asked me managing to be both polite and demanding.

"Hudson, Rey Hudson." I answered almost cracking when I had to suppress the urge to smirk, "I'm from a country far away from here so I doubt you'll find any records of me."

"What country would that be?" Mustang asked not bothering to be polite.

I looked around the room quickly until my eyes fell on a map hanging above Hughes' desk that displayed multiple countries that surrounded Amestris and I quickly read off the first name I read in an even voice, "Drachma."

Unfortunately both Hughes and Mustang noticed my gaze flicker towards the map and the latter narrowed his eyes and observed, "You don't look Drachman."

"That's racist." I said faking indignation while wanting to slap myself for blurting out the first thing that came to my head. Hoping that racism existed and was as scandalous in my world as it was in this I glared accusingly around the room to study their reactions, and judging by the surprised looked from Edward, Mustang, and Hughes, I was guessing that it was.

"Whatever, my dad isn't from Drachma so I look different. Next question." I sighed relieved that my ridiculous distraction had worked.

"What were you doing in East City?" Mustang questioned being the first to recover.

Smirking I replied, "Shopping for a skirt for a tea party."

"You didn't have any items with you when we brought you here, let alone clothing." Mustang retorted looking smug.

"Well I didn't say I bought anything did I? Unfortunately I couldn't find anything that said "Princess'" I replied flippantly, "Is that it? All you're gonna do is ask me why I didn't have any skirts with me?"

"No," Hughes said still keeping a stolid face despite obviously finding the irritation from Mustang funny, "Why were you in that area at the time of the attack, you must have known that the military had been fighting a wanted criminal because of our barricades."

"Actually no," I replied keeping my demeanor calm while rapidly thinking about the scene where Scar had attacked Ed, "I had been walking on the roof for a while, I know when I went up there, there weren't any military barricades around the area and I didn't hear any fighting."

"How did you manage to fall from the roof of the building and without your right arm?" Mustang asked harshly earning a suppressed shocked look from Hughes and causing a sudden lump to form in my throat despite myself.

"I-I don't know." I choked out and then used the hysterical response to my advantage when I see Hughes and Mustang's expressions soften, "The last thing I remember is being on the roof, I have no idea what happened after that."

"It sounds like you may have amnesia, and it also says in the report that you had some wounds to your skull." Hughes consented studying me as though he didn't quite believe my story. I knew he would believe that I had fallen off a roof rather than I had come from a completely different universe. And even though I slightly resented it, my injured state had made me look as though I was just some unlucky victim that had been harmed and should be pitied rather than suspected. The fact that Hughes had decided to interrogate me from his couch rather than from behind his desk also suggested that the military had already thought of this and I was only being questioned as a precaution since Scar was high threat.

"Fullmetal, you don't think that Ms. Hudson-" Dammit don't laugh, "has shown any signs of being involved with Scar?" Mustang asked.

"No," Ed replied, making me snap my head towards him in astonishment. I hadn't expected for him to vouch for me, if anything, I would have expected him to try and have me arrested. But when I studied him and his adamant expression, I knew that I had been somewhat harsh in my assumptions, I doubted he would do that to someone, even if he had just met them.

"Well then Ms. Hudson," Hughes began but stopped when I let out a chuckle which I covered up as a cough, "Excuse me."

After receiving a puzzled look from Ed, Hughes continued, "You are welcome to stay here until you are fully recovered. We can contact any family members you have."

"Thanks but no thanks, I'm an orphan and don't have any money so I won't be able to pay for the treatments I got from here as it is, I'll just go find some place to whole up and get a job until I can repay you." I replied adamantly but knowing that would take a lot of time and feeling desperate to get back to my own world rather than working to pay off a hospital bill.

For the first time, Mustang looked as though he had nothing to say, which I saw as a miracle, in the end Hughes broke the sudden silence by declaring, "Well then I'll pay."

"Wait, what? No," I countered firmly, stunning him and Mustang again, "I'd rather not be indebted to the government."

"Then come with us," Ed exclaimed earning a dubious look from me which he ignored, "I'll pay for your bill but you have to help us look for the Philosopher's Stone."

"She knows about your search for the Stone?" Mustang asked.

Ed waved him off and replied, "It came up."

The look that Mustang gave him clearly implied that he didn't like how little of an answer he got but Ed and I were too busy with our own conversation.

"You'd have to leave tomorrow, but I can still pay for your bill. You wouldn't owe the military money anymore, which is a good thing." Ed added making his offer that much more tempting. Yet I could sense that there was something else that he wanted from me, something that I would definitely ask about once we were alone.

"Please Rey? Let us help you." Al pleaded but I could tell he knew Ed had other reasons for offering to pay for me.

Narrowing my gaze I conceded and Alphonse, Edward, and I were dismissed. We were all silent as we exited the office, with Ed pushing Al as I lagged behind. The silence continued until we entered my room and Edward had shut the door so that no one else would be able to hear our conversation.

"Alright what do you want?" I commanded, trying to look as intimidating as I could in a dress and pale from walking around so much right after losing my right arm and knocking my head against the street.

"You said you went through the Portal of Truth right?" Ed asked not bothering to keep up his charade.

"Yeah."

"So you've seen the entire thing?"

"I-" I trailed off suddenly marveling at what I'd done, "I guess so."

"All that information..." Ed exclaimed, looking at me in wonder. Well, the kind of wondered look a scientist gave to an experiment.

"What do you know about human transmutation?" Ed asked suddenly demanding with his face and voice full of hope.

"Human transmutation-" I paused, surprised at having to concentrate hard in order to access the information given to me by Truth.

"Ah!" I howled, overcome by the same exploding pain that I had experienced inside the Portal of Truth. I clutched my head and crumpled to the ground unable to help the small groan that escaped me.

"What, what's wrong?" I heard Alphonse exclaim.

Concentrating I willed myself to pull out of my memories and focus on the room I was in once again, making the pain dull and lessen to a bearable point, "Don't, I can't get to it. Its like- it's like being in there again."

Looking at Ed I saw him pale as he must have been remembering the agony of having so much information being pounded into your mind all at once. Plus he knew I had gone through the entire Portal, and despite being able to have that much knowledge, the experience made it hardly worth it.

"Brother, what is the Portal of Truth?" Alphonse asked, startling both of us from our dark thoughts.

Peering at him quizzically Ed asked, "What do you mean? You went in there too didn't you, the night we tried to bring mom back?"

"Went in where, the Portal of Truth?" Al asked his helmet swiveling back and forth between us, looking for answers.

"You don't remember," I gasped, thinking of how much information he must have received, "you paid the toll with your entire body, you've probably seen more than Ed."

"What are you talking about?" Al pleaded still completely lost.

"It's what happens when you do human transmutation, you're taken to this thing called Truth." Ed replied looking at Al and I in awe.

"He- or It I guess- lets you seen inside these doors that show you the Truth of the universe, but he only shows you the amount that you pay for. You payed with your entire body while Ed payed for the information he saw with his leg, that means that you've seen much more than him." I answered thinking.

"But you've seen more than both of us." Al responded showing his understanding.

"Exactly, you know more. So while you can't exactly get to it right now, you could eventually be able to tell us what we want to know about the Philosopher's Stone, or the secret to human transmutation." Ed said.

"To get your bodies back?" I replied, my mind clicking pieces into place, this earned an uncomfortable silence from both Ed and Al who probably hadn't gotten use to the idea of having someone else being in on their secret.

"Yeah," Ed said finally breaking the silence, "So if you help us look for the Philosopher's Stone and give us whatever information you have then I'll pay for your hospital bill and whatever else you're gonna need while we're looking."

Looking at Ed, I thought over his offer. It was the perfect opportunity for me, I knew Ed and Al and how powerful and gifted they were when it came to alchemy which would mean that I might be able to find a way to get back to my world. I wasn't going to be mooching off of them either, I would be giving back exactly what I was taking which meant that I wouldn't be indebted to them either. Plus, the one thing I had been able to retrieve from my memories of coming here was the snake symbol I was sure I'd seen before, and if I was right- and if Hiromu Arakawa was a consistent writer- then it would have to show up again, and I could get some answers on how to get back home.

"Alright, it sounds good to me." I said thrusting my hand out to Al and shaking his and then taking Ed's hand and doing the same.

"We're going to Resembool tomorrow to visit our mechanic and get my automail repaired, so rest up tonight and make sure you're ready to go on the train." Ed declared abruptly standing up and walking out of the room with Al who mustered a rushed farewell.

**I don't know if any of you noticed but the word count keeps going down so I'll try and bring it back up next week as well as try to update next week). Once again tell me if you guys have any suggestions for the story or if anyone seems out of character or if there are any major typos. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I think this might be a regular thing with this at least until my life calms down a little bit, which means summer vacation since I'm actually in a sport for once and I'm about to get a job. Thanks for all your continued patience (as far as I can tell). **

"Hey." Hughes said knocking on the train window taking Ed's attention off of me as I picked at my newly acquired military boots longing to pull out my ipod that was resting inside of my left shoe.

"Lt. Colonel?" Ed replied opening the window letting in a fresh breeze of air and rustling my hair so that it fell in my face for the tenth time that day.

"The folks at the Eastern Command Center were a little too busy to come down here today, so I came to see you off instead, and Mustang sends his regards you, Al, and Ms. Huston." He responded earning an unbelieving snort from me.

"Hudson, and just call me Rey." I corrected earning an apologetic nod from Hughes, "Sorry, Rey."

"Great," Ed said his tone implying otherwise, "but would you mind telling me what the Major's doing here?"

_Probably because we can't defend ourselves right now and you and Al are being chased by Scar,_ I replied mentally observing the sparkling Armstrong.

"For protection," Hughes said earning a smirk from me, "what if Scar came after you again? You're in no shape to fight now major's here to help, just try to grin and bear it."

"Children can be so stubborn." Armstrong announced jovially in his seat beside Ed, making me and Ed snap our attention to him.

"Hey shut up I'm no child!" Ed exclaimed waving his hand in the air earning a chuckle from me.

"What are you laughing at? You look like you're fifteen too!" Ed shouted sparking me to stand up with the same energy.

"I turned sixteen a month ago!" I snapped back and grinned as his face fell.

Slumping back into his seat I heard him murmur, "Whatever you still act like you're a stubborn five year old."

"I do not!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"At least I would realize that my little brother isn't with me when he can't even walk!" I exclaimed.

"I know where he is!" Ed yelled back and then paused to whisper to Armstrong, "Are you sure Al made it on board, Major?"

"Of course." Armstrong responded.

Rolling my eyes I said, "Yeah, you totally knew that Alphonse is in the back with the livestock."

"What? My brother isn't some kind of farm animal!" Ed screamed making me wince despite the large smirk that had spread across my face.

The train gave a sudden lurch as a bell rang throughout the station causing for Hughes to stand back and salute the three of us saying, "Alright you guys, have a safe trip. Stop in and give me a shout the next time you make it to Central."

Immediately Ed and Armstrong saluted him back while I waved nonchalantly and prepared myself for the long trip ahead of us.

It wasn't long until the constant rattle of the train and warmth of the morning sun got to Ed who immediately fell asleep with his mouth hanging open, making the more childish part of me want to shoot something into it. But I sat peacefully in my seat trying to figure out how many hours we'd been traveling based on the sun in comfortable silence with Armstrong who I had met that morning. Despite how loud and boisterous the man could be, I was glad to see that he wasn't flamboyant all the time and could actually sit in peace in quiet.

"Ms. Rey is it?" He said in his low voice after a few hours of quiet.

Resisting the urge to sigh from the break in silence, I broke my gaze towards the scenery outside of the train and replied, "Yeah?"

"What is that object in your shoe?" He asked peering at my Ipod which was peeking out of my boot making me stifle a curse and work to keep a composed face as I stuffed it back down.

"Its just a piece of glass I found outside in the train station." I replied as lightheartedly as I could.

"You should be careful with glass that might be sharp, it could cut your leg as you're walking." He said with a worried look that took me off guard.

In response I gave him a reassuring smile and said in my most angelic voice, "Of course I'll be careful, don't worry."

The only reaction I got was an astonished look, but in the end my charade plus the dress that I was still wearing, unfortunately, must have made me look innocent enough for him to nod in appreciation and go back to reading his book allowing for me to acknowledge that the train had stopped during our conversation.

But while Ed yawned and woke up from his nap, Armstrong seemed to notice something outside the train and sprung up with a mixed expression of surprise and recognition.

He leaned forward quickly, squashing Ed in the process, and called out the window, "Dr. Marcoh!" to an old and kind looking man.

"Dr. Marcoh, it is you isn't it?" Armstrong yelled as the man paled and an expression of horror consumed his wrinkled features, "It's me, Alex Louis Armstrong from Central!"

"Armstrong, I don't think-" I began but trailed off as the man turned and ran away from the station.

"Friend of yours?" Ed asked having recovered from being crushed by Armstrong's massive weight after he sat down with a disgruntled and confused look.

"He's from Central, a talented state alchemist. He was researching into possible medical applications of alchemy.

"That's amazing, if alchemy were used to heal people then that could lead to a huge medical breakthrough!" I commented in awe of the possibilities.

"But after the Ishvalan Civil War, he went missing and just disappeared." Armstrong replied looking thoughtful.

Suddenly rising Ed exclaimed, "A guy like that might know some useful things about bio alchemy. Let's go Major."

"I'm coming too." I announced startling Ed who had obviously forgotten I was there, but he recovered quickly and nodded in consent.

After retrieving Al from the stables, much to Al's appreciation, we searched through the town asking people if they knew Dr. Marcoh with the aid of Armstrong's surprising artistic abilities that had apparently been "passed down the Armstrong family for generations."

But the only response we received was of a man named Dr. Maroh who had helped the town by healing its sick with what was commonly referred to as a bright flash of light. This of course spurred us and lead us to a small house owned by "Dr. Maroh" which Ed bounded up to and knocked on before any of us were up the stairs.

"Hello!" Ed called out opening the door without being invited in.

"Woah, wait a sec-" I yelled as I heard the distinct sound of a safety being disengaged but was interrupted by a gunshot a shout from Ed.

"Alright tell me what you three are doing here, have you come to take me back?" Dr. Maroh/Marcoh yelled while still pointing his gun at the four of us with shaking hands. _Oh fuck this._

Jumping up from my crouched position that I had assumed when I saw the gun, I leaped onto the terrified man and twisted his arm so that he yelled out in pain and dropped the gun into my hand, all without my right arm. Stepping back to the stunned trio behind me I pointed the gun back at Dr. Marcoh.

Regaining his composure first, Armstrong pleaded with the now desperate man, "Please Dr. Marcoh, calm down."

"I don't ever want to go back! Anything but that!" He cried looking dangerously close to attacking us even without his gun.

"That's not it, please listen." Armstrong pleaded with him as he inched forward even further.

"Woah buddy stay back." I said causing for the doctor to become even more hysterical.

"So you're here to silence me then!"

"No nothing like that!" Armstrong exclaimed.

"I won't be tricked by you!" Dr. Marcoh screamed advancing even more despite me pointing his gun at him making me edge back closer to Ed who had been rigid with shock during the entire confrontation.

With an exasperated sigh Armstrong launched both Al and his box at Dr. Marcoh who was crushed and bellowed, "I'LL ASK YOU ONE MORE TIME, PLEASE CALM DOWN!"

"Alphonse!" Ed cried snapping out his shocked state while I lowered Dr. Marcoh's gun with a relieved sigh.

Somehow, after a lot of coaxing from both me and Armstrong and the reunification between him and his gun, we all managed to situate ourselves around the Doctor's table.

"So you changed your name and decided to live way out here in the countryside. If the rumors I heard can be believed, after you disappeared, you took top secret materials with you." Armstrong started after a few moments of tense silence.

"I couldn't handle it anymore," Marcoh replied his voice strained and grave, "Order or no order, to have to dirty my hands researching that thing was too much."

"What thing is that?" Ed asked looking sympathetic, much to my surprise.

"It took so many lives. During the civil war, so many died because of it. I could spend my whole life trying and still never atone for the things I've done, but I had to do something so I came here to be a doctor so I could save lives instead of taking them." Dr. Marcoh replied looking at his hands with so much guilt that I couldn't possibly imagine what such a kind hearted person could have done to warrant that much grief.

Still I couldn't get over his earlier hysteria, so although I kept my voice sympathetic, I kept my stance as guarded as I could while I asked, "What exactly were you ordered to do research on?"

"The Philosopher's Stone." He stated making the intensity of the room's mood multiply mostly from Ed's wide, burning gaze, "The top secret material's that I took were my research documents, and the Stone itself."

"You mean you still have it?" Ed exclaimed standing suddenly and startling Marcoh, "Its here?"

In response, Dr. Marcoh produced a vial of red liquid from his jacket and poured it onto the table in front of him where it solidified earning a collective gasp as he began to speak, "The Sage's Stone, the Grand Elixir, the Celestial Stone, the Red Tincture, the Fifth Element. Just as the Philosopher's Stone has many names, it can take on many forms. It is not necessarily a stone. This is an incomplete product however, there is no way to know when it will reach its limit and become unusable."

"Just like the stone that crazy priest from Liore had. It wasn't the real Stone but his alchemy was still amplified by a lot judging from the alchemy I've seen." I muttered earning an astonished gasp from Ed and Al.

"You know- yeah of course you do." Ed muttered and then turned to Marcoh again, "It probably demonstrated plenty of power during the Ishvalan Civil War," Marcoh regained the haunted look he had had before, "If imitation stones this powerful can be produced, who's to say a complete product can't be created? Please Dr. Marcoh I need access to your research materials!"

"Major, who exactly are these two?" Marcoh asked turning to Armstrong under the pressure of Ed's burning and determined gaze.

"This is Rey Hudson and this boy is the State Alchemist Edward Elric." Armstrong replied.

Horrified Marcoh exclaimed, "What? But he's only a child! After the war, there were many State Alchemists who turned in their certifications, because they were only used as human weapons anymore! And now a child!"

"You think I don't know what I've signed up for? I know what I'm doing but I don't have any choice! Its a mistake, but its a mistake I have to make, there's no other way!" Ed yelled his golden eyes now disks of heat that seemed to hold Marcoh in an iron grip of horror.

Ed then continued on to explain his and Al's attempt at bringing back their mother from the grave and the consequences both faced in return and their efforts to bring each other's bodies back from Truth with the help of the Philosopher's Stone.

"I see, you committed the ultimate taboo," Marcoh remarked and then peered at me and my missing arm, "And you have attempted human transmutation as well?"

"No, I-I lost my arm in an accident. I'm traveling with Ed and Al to try and find the Philosopher's Stone to get it back." I replied uneasily.

Thankfully Marcoh only nodded and then walked over to Al where he studied him, "Amazing, the ability to transmute a specific person's soul like this, maybe one as talented as you would be able to produce a complete Philosopher's Stone."

"So-" Ed began his face lighting up.

"But I can't show you my research." Dr. Marcoh interrupted effectively wiping off the hopeful grin that had enveloped Ed's face.

"Why not?" Ed exclaimed in outrage.

"You must not seek after he Stone!" Marcoh replied his tone firm.

"Not even if its to get our bodies back?" Ed countered.

Turning away Marcoh stated, "Never! This is the Devil's research, if you chase the Stone you will go through Hell!"

"I've already been through Hell!" Ed shouted standing up and making me jump in my seat from the desperate and angry tone his voice carried.

"Edward, _Ed,_" I pleaded gaining his attention with a startled look, "come on. We should go." I urged studying the defeated and desperate face of Dr. Marcoh.

"Yes please, please just go." Marcoh pleaded while turning away as we all stood quietly and walked out of his house in silence.

On our way back to the train station I wasn't able to shake the image of Marcoh's anguished face when reliving his days serving in the Ishvalan Civil War. What could he have done to cause such a reaction? The Stone had obviously helped many people in the town and if it could wield as much power as Priest's did, then what kind of things could it do when used by someone with good intentions? And why would anyone like Marcoh want to keep that from happening?

When we did get to the train station where we waited for the train that would take us to Resembool, Ed and Al's silence louder than the any of of the trains roaring past us until Armstrong asked, "Are you sure about this Ed? Even an incomplete Philosopher's Stone could be useful, you could have taken it from the doctor by force."

"Yeah, I wanted it so badly I could almost taste it." Ed replied making my respect for him to grudgingly rise.

"But still, we don't want it so badly that we'd be willing to deprive this town of their only doctor to get it." Al added.

"We've gained plenty just knowing that the Philosopher's Stone can be made. Now we'll just have to look for some other way to do it. How about you Major," Ed asked as the train to Resembool pulled up to the platform, "how do you feel about not reporting back to Central on Dr. Marcoh's location?"

"I met a simple small town doctor today, I can't see any real reason to report that." Armstrong responded earning a grin of appreciation from Ed.

"That's nice and all, but weren't you and Al paying attention to what Marcoh said about his research?" I asked causing for Ed and Armstrong to turn to me.

"What do you mean?" Ed prompted.

"He said something about taking people's lives in order to fulfill his research, he acted like the creation of a Philosopher's Stone was something that he wouldn't ever want to go through again. I mean he left the military because of it." I responded.

Looking thoughtful Ed replied, "But he also said that many State Alchemists resigned after the Ishvalan Civil War which was where he created the Philosopher's Stone, he could have gone into hiding because he didn't want to be involved with the military anymore just like the other alchemists."

I didn't respond, partly because what Ed said seemed likely but also because of the adamant tone he had that I knew had come from being so close to finding a way to get Alphonse's body back.

"Wait!" Dr. Marcoh yelled as he ran up to us and then paused to hold out a folded piece of paper while gasping for air, "This is where my materials are, if you're certain that you won't regret learning the truth in the end, start looking here. Look closely, maybe you will be able to find the truth hidden within the truth."

Ed took the paper cautiously and without a word as Marcoh walked away waving and calling out, "I hope the day will come when you are able to restore your bodies."

Ed bowed gratefully to him while Armstrong gave a salute and the four of us headed back onto the train and found a few open seats. This time, under Ed's adamant request, Alphonse was able to "sit" next to us instead of in the stables thus squishing me between his box and the window.

"Brother, what does the note say?" Alphonse asked as soon as the train started once again.

"National Central Library, First Branch," Ed replied reading off the Doctor's neat cursive, "Clever of him to hide one book in that giant library would make it almost impossible to find. Finally another clue about the Stone."

"One question though," I interjected, somehow raising my hand from my squished position next to Al, "what's this whole Ishvalan Civil War exactly?"

This earned mixed reactions from the three, the most notable was from Armstrong whose composure became dark and haunted, contrasting to his usual bright and thundering personality.

"It was a war between Amestris and the Ishvalans when they started to fight against the military." Ed informed me.

"If it was a Civil War then why didn't they fight the Amestrian government instead of its military?" I asked.

"They were fighting the government, Amestrian government is headed by the Fuhrer who is also the military leader." Armstrong replied.

"The Fuhrer?" I exclaimed, "You mean like Hitler?"

"Who is Hitler?" Alphonse asked vocalizing the confusion of the three in front of me.

"A Germ- I mean Drachman leader that tortured and killed groups of people he didn't deem worthy enough of his new world." I replied correcting myself when I remembered Armstrong's presence.

"I didn't know there was a Drachman leader named Hitler." Armstrong muttered looking thoughtful.

"So how did it end?" I asked trying to avert Armstrong from my earlier slip up.

"Well the Ishvalans were basically wiped out, there are hardly any left of them except for a few like Scar." Ed replied causing for me to glance at his missing arm and Al's box.

"Were you there Armstrong?" I ask turning my attention to him but found that he had mysteriously fallen asleep and had even started to snore in the few seconds I hadn't been looking at him._ I'm assuming that's a yes._

Ed, Al, and I all sat in silence for a while after that which allowed me to process the information I had just gotten until my thoughts were interrupted by Al who asked, "Rey, where did you learn to disarm people?"

"Huh?" I said momentarily confused and groggy from the lack of movement for the past few hours.

"Yeah, you took away Dr. Marcoh's gun before he could do anything again. And with only one arm." Ed commented studying me with a grudging look of admiration.

"Oh that," I began thinking back to the incident, "well I come from a place that isn't the most kid friendly. I already told you I'm an orphan-"

"Wait- you were serious about being an orphan?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, that's not important. The point is I live in an orphanage where we mostly have to fend for ourselves since it isn't in the best part of the country."

"Your universe sounds dangerous." Ed commented making me shoot daggers at him for interrupting.

"Its not all like that," I retorted, "And your universe is the one with crazy alchemists and a Fuhrer in it." _Granted _we_ have nuclear bombs._

"What's wrong with a Fuhrer?" Ed snapped back.

"Guys, maybe we shouldn't discuss this with all these people around, and Armstrong might wake up and hear you if you two start yelling." Alphonse interrupted us.

With a consenting sigh I continued, "Anyways, my parents were wealthy so I was left with a lot of money, so that plus the environment I was in kinda pushed to learn how to defend myself. I used to, um-" I stuttered feeling a rush of heat engulf my cheeks, "I used to watch a bunch of kung fu and spy movies and try and learn to fight from them but I ended up having to just make up my own stuff since the stuff on T.V. is never really that realistic. I got good at it since I had a lot of kids coming after me in the orphanage which allowed me to get some practice."

"What's kung fu?" Ed asked after a few moments.

"And what is a spy?" Al asked closely after Ed.

After that, the rest of the train ride filled with me describing spy fighting moves and stories from the movies I've seen like Mission Impossible and James Bond until Ed asked once again about kung fu and I was lead into a description of martial arts and, somehow, ninjas. This lead to Ed requesting that I demonstrate a move and even offering himself up as a guinea pig until I was more than happy to so I'd have an excuse to make him shut up. In response I had Ed punch me, allowing me to grab his hand and twist his wrist so that he went flying into the aisle and into a disgruntled man. By the time we reached Resembool, Al had finally succeeded in apologizing to the man and getting him to consent to not demand that Ed pay for his now "ruined" suit.

"Will you get over it already, you _asked_ me to!" I all but yelled at Ed who had been glaring at me as we walked down the dirt road that lead the the Rockbell's Automail shop.

Ed was about to respond until he was interrupted by a dog's barking and the sight of a small two story house that seemed to scream _Home_ as we walked closer and closer.

"Yo Granny!" Ed called out as a small old woman walked up and joined the now panting and excited dog.

"We're home!" Alphonse cheered happily from his box carried by Armstrong.

"Oh dear, what have you done now?" The old woman said studying Ed's obviously missing automail arm.

"A lot has happened, will you fix us up?" Ed replied good naturedly making me shift uncomfortably in the warm and gushy environment.

"This is Major Alex Louis Armstrong and Rey Hudson." Ed gestured to us.

"I'm Pinako Rockbell," Pinako replied walking up to us and shaking both of our hands and then turning her attention back to Ed, "I haven't seen you in a while Ed, you've gone and grown smaller."

I smothered a laugh at Ed's death glare as he struggled to respond, "Granny, you've got it all wrong. You're supposed to say _How big you've grown lately Ed._"

"Why would I say something so completely untrue?" Pinako responded followed by the sound of Ed snapping audibly.

"I'M STILL TALLER THAN YOU, YOU MINI HAG!" Ed screeched just as a wrench flew past me and smacked into him, splattering him on the road.

"Edward, I thought I told you to call for when you come back here for maintenance!" A much older Winry than from Ed's flashback yelled from a second story balcony.

"WINRY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?" Ed screeched again but only receiving a string of laughter from his assailant.

"Welcome back!" Winry called out.

"Yeah." Ed grunted and then fix me with a burning glare as a small snicker escaped me.

**Thanks for reading!**


End file.
